has helped hundreds of businesses and organizations with her thoughtful facilitation and research services. She also writes colorful and compelling articles about new business initiatives! Would this help you? Call Carolyn today!

I wrote about this a year ago. I believe it still contains an important message for any retail business on Whidbey.

My husband and I were in San Mateo last year. It’s a charming small city in the Bay Area. We went into a store that was selling a variety of gift items. We walked in and after a few minutes, we realized that no one greeted us, or even looked at us.

We waited for someone to notice us....and none of the staff looked up from what they were doing; no one made eye contact or said “Hello” or “We’ll be with you in just a minute.” We waited. Finally, my husband said, “Let’s go somewhere else.” And, we did.

I can imagine the young staff had had a long day, or some cranky customers, or were just anxious to be done with their work day and head home.

But, as the customer, my only concern was being waited on, or at least having someone greet me and say they would be helping me soon. I wanted to feel welcome.

As we move into the tourist season on Whidbey, it’s important for a retail store to make every customer feel welcome as soon as they walk into the store. This is always important, but especially true when many strangers may be stopping by your business.

Anyone who is meeting the public in a business must always be aware of the power of that first moment when a potential customer walks through the door. More than anything else, a customer must be noticed and made to feel welcomed.